MARSHAL OF THE ARMY JOA0 MASCARENHAS DE I~0RAES By Frank C. Dennis ~-312

Not many people know that Brazil sent an expeditionary corps to Italy in World War II to fight on the side of the Allies. For an unknown quantity, it can be said that the Brazilian Expeditionary Corps excelled and coquered many heavily fortified places, defended tenaciously against battle-hardehed German troops, and generally acquitted itself with great merit. The commander of that Expeditionary Force was Jo~ Baptista Mascarenhas de Moraes.

Marshal Mascarenhas was born on 13 November 1883 at S~o Gabriel, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 1899, he entered the Rio Pardo Military School as a cadet. He later attended the Brazilian Military School in Rio de Janeiro. Upon graduation from the latter institution, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 23 August 1905.

Later, he attended the Officer’s Higher Training School, from which he graduated number one. He also graduated third from the General Staff School. Both of the courses were run by the French Military Mission.

Mascarenhas was promoted to Colonel on 17 December 1931. He was elevated to flag rank, as Brigadier-General,on 15 November 1937. Finally, he was promoted to Major-General in May 1942 and given command of the Brazilian Expeditionary, arriving in Italy in July 1944.

He commanded the Brazilian Expeditionary Force with such skill that the Brazilian Constituent Assembly named him a Marshal of ±he Army in 1946. He was confirmed in this rank by the National Congress in 1951. Marshal Mascarenhas died on 17 September 19~8, at the age of 85.

This distinguished officer held the following Orders, Decora- tions, and Medalsl

Medalha de Campanha Orden Nacional do Merito Orden do Merito Naval Orden do Merito Militar Orden do Merito Aeron~utico Orden do Merito Juridico Militar Medalha Militar de Platina Medalha da Guerra Medalha de Campanha do Atlantico Sul Medalha do Pacificsdor Medalha Marechal Hermes Legion of Honor of France Croix de Guerre of France, with Palme Order of the Crown of Belgium Orden do Merito, Observador Militar Orden Militar de Ayacucucho of PerG

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}t%RECHAL MASCARENHAS IN GALA UNIFORM VISIBLE IS T~ LEGION OF ~RIT AND THE ~RONZE STA~. ORDER OF NATIONAL MERIT COM~’~NDER ORDER OF MIITARY k~RIT GRAND CROSS ORDER OF CHRIST, GRAND CF~OSS

FIGURE 3 -14-

Commander of the Legion of Merit of the United States Bronze Star, USA Medalha Especial da Junta de Defea Interamericana Inter-

nacional 0rden Nacional de Merito of Paraguay Order of Leopold II of Belgium Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Coronation Medal of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain Lateran Cross, Vatican Order of Christ, Portugal 0rden Ruben Dario of Nicaragua.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The author wishes to thank the Brazilian Govern- ment, Colonel Pedro Braga (the Editor of the Brazilian edition of MILITARY REVIEW), and the United States Army Command and General Staff College for ass~tance in the preparation of this article.

FIGURE 3: PAGE 14, shows Marshal of the Army Mascarenhas in dress uniform wearing such awards as the US Bronze Star, US Legion of Merit (Commander), Croix de Guerre of France with Palm, Order of National Merit (Commander), Order of Military Merit (Grand Cross), and Order of Christ (Grand Cross).

This article is a further one in the series by Frank Dennis on Field-Marshals of the World. Next month, he will deal with 20th Century Marshals of Italy.

MARSHALS BATON, BRAZIL

FIGURE 4

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